(NNPA)—There’s an old saying: “Don’t bring a slingshot to a gunfight.” But that’s just what the Congress appears to be doing with its timid approach to job creation. Last week, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing a $15 billion jobs bill that would hardly make a dent in the depression-era levels of unemployment afflicting all parts of the country, especially communities of color.

by Shannon Williams

Who are our real Black leaders?

While there are experts who offer insight in the area of leadership and programs designed to cultivate leaders, I don’t think the act of leading is so hard—it’s something we all can do.

(NNPA)—Now we have the Coffee Party which I suppose is a liberal counterpart to the Tea Party that emerged in the Washington, D.C., area by folks led by Annabel Park, a documentary film maker who was horrified by the ugly, menacing and anti-government spirit of the Tea Party crowd that emerged to disrupt the flow of civil discussion about important issues. I’ve been asking, where are the folks who voted for Barack Obama, believing in hope and change and pinning for a new post-Bush, post-conservative America?

The Muhammad Study Group No. 22 in Wilkinsburg convinced me that I needed to attend Saviors Day in Chicago. They promised me it would be a memorable and joyous occasion, and they were totally accurate. At first I thought those in attendance were from every state in the country, but there were people from all over the world.

Every person that I met —and I assure you there many—were friendly, outgoing, and all greeted me with “brother,” “Happy Saviors Day” or “As Salaam Alaikum!”